Cosmetic Dentistry (9)

No one wants to have fillings that show because they are metal or don’t match your real teeth. We use tooth colored fillings so your mouth is all the same color. Midtown’s Rosa Dental staff want you to be confident that your smile is the best and you are comfortable with our work.

At our clinic we use a composite resin With this resin, you can have that beautiful smile without metal fillings. This process takes only one visit!

Composite fillings bond to the structure of your tooth, providing you long-term protection that actually strengthens your tooth. These fillings are not sensitive to changes in temperature; they don’t cause cracks or hairline fractures. There are no filling leaks, either.

Invisalign Dental Education VideoBraces are one of the most popular dental treatments available today. Why? Because in addition to creating a more attractive smile, braces can prevent other problems like misaligned bites, TMJ disorder, tooth decay, and gum disease. While traditional braces are a great option for many people, we also offer metal-free alternatives. Dr. Azouz is certified to provide our Rocklin-area patients with Invisalign, the trusted name in invisible aligner technology.

You’ve probably seen ads for Invisalign on television or in magazines. Clear braces have grown in popularity over the years as the technology improves. Now, Dr. Azouz can correct a wide range of issues using this discreet method of orthodontia. Patients with crooked teeth, wide gaps, and bite problems can benefit from treatment with Invisalign.

This method uses clear, removable aligners to gently reposition the teeth. You use an aligner for about two weeks, and then you throw it away and move on to the next in your series. No more wires, no more brackets, and no more uncomfortable “tightening” appointments. With Invisalign, you have the freedom to remove your braces when you eat and brush, too, so oral hygiene remains stellar, and staining during treatment is less likely to occur.

You can learn more about Invisalign by calling Dr. Azouz for a consultation. While clear braces aren’t for everyone, they can provide many adults with a solution to crooked teeth that doesn’t jeopardize their mature image. Dr. Azouz will help you decide whether Invisalign is right for you at your personal consultation.

Braces have quickly become a standard treatment for children, adults, and teens in America. Everyone deserves the benefits of a straight, attractive smile. Not only that, braces can help curb future issues like TMJ disorder and tooth decay, allowing you or your child to enjoy your smiles long-term. As a general dentist, Dr. Azouz is qualified to provide orthodontic treatment at his Rocklin dental office.

Traditional braces involve wires and brackets attached to the teeth. The wires gradually shift the teeth into their optimal alignment. Today, we have options for clear or tooth-colored brackets, so you or your child can receive orthodontic treatment that looks more natural.

Dr. Azouz and the team at Serenity Dental provide comprehensive orthodontic treatment, so your family can confidently receive all aspects of care from our Rocklin, CA office. This means you or your child can receive braces, cleanings, and follow-up treatments from one convenient location and a team they can trust. Find answers to common questions about braces, as well as some tips for living with braces below.

How can I find out if I need braces?

Contact with Dr. Azouz and his staff at Serenity Dental and ask for an evaluation. They will determine the most effective treatment based on each individual patient’s needs. Click here to fill out contact information online.

Why would an adult wear braces?

Oftentimes, adults didn't have the chance to receive orthodontic treatment when they were children. They may suffer from overbites, under bites, crooked/crowded teeth, misalign jaw, or jaw joint disorders. If problems like these are left untreated, adults can be faced with biting or chewing issues, tooth decay, headaches, earaches, gum disease, and difficulty speaking clearly. Lastly, a beautifully aligned smile will boost one's self-confidence. Click here to make an appointment with Dr. Azouz to find out how to get braces today.

What types of braces are available?

Serenity Dental offers a variety of orthodontic options, including:

Invisalign and ClearCorrect – The most current technology in braces includes Invisalign and ClearCorrect, which are a series of inconspicuous, clear, and removable aligners that are custom made for each person's teeth. Invisalign and ClearCorrect braces don't have wires or brackets and are extremely convenient, since they can be removed while eating, during important events, and for cleaning. Also, they won't trap food or plaque between teeth like traditional braces. Invisible braces are well-suited for patients with minor orthodontic issues.

Traditional Metal Braces – With traditional braces, we have more options than ever before. Traditional braces can have clear or white brackets, and once they are affixed, the braces are extremely unassuming. They are made of high-grade stainless steel. An added advantage of traditional braces is that they tend to provide a quicker and more effective results.

Ceramic Braces – These braces offer the same quality of treatment as metal braces; however, ceramic braces blend in with the color of the teeth and are much less noticeable. Although ceramic braces may be aesthetically pleasing they tend to break more easily.

Schedule a consultation with Dr. Azouz to learn which orthodontic option is right for you.

How much do braces cost?

How much braces will cost depends on which type you choose. The average price is between $5,000 and $6,000, but keep in mind that out-of-pocket costs will likely be more if you decide to go with non-metal braces. To find out if your dental plan will cover braces for adults, take a look at your Evidence of Coverage, Summary Plan Description, or Group Dental Service Contract. Also, make sure you ask our Serenity Dental team to submit a pre-treatment estimate, known as a predetermination, to your dental plan. This will tell you what your out-of-pocket costs will be before your treatment even starts. Serenity Dental offers convenient monthly payment plans through CareCredit® as well. Visit carecredit.com for more information.

Is orthodontic treatment different for adults?

Orthodontic treatment for an adult may be different than for a child or teenager in that it can take longer to achieve the same results. While the benefits for an adult and a child are the same, the average time frame for adult orthodontic treatment is 18 months to three years. Like children, after braces are removed an adult may need to wear a retainer

Caring for Braces

Taking excellent care of braces throughout the orthodontic treatment will support a hassle-free experience. Thoroughly brush teeth, gums, and between the wires, and floss at least once a day. Following a regular brushing and flossing routine will help reduce your risk of cavities. Good oral hygiene may also prevent de-calcification (white spots) on teeth and tooth decay.

Adults should also pay close attention to what they eat. Avoid very hard and sticky foods like gum, taffy, and caramel (as well as anything that can get stuck in the braces), toffee, nuts, crusty bread, and hard/crunchy granola. Consume and enjoy food carefully and you will be able to have an incident-free treatment.

Questions about how your diet will effect your orthodontic treatment? Contact Dr. Darryl Azouz and the Serenity Dental team at (916) 630-1084.

Tips for Living with Braces

Carry a dental kit with a toothbrush, toothpaste, dental wax, floss, a small pack of tissues, and breath drops or spray with you at all times. (There is special floss with hard ends made specifically for patients with braces, and Dr. Azouz can recommend a specific types of floss.)

Don't be worried about brushing teeth in a public restroom. Many people have braces, and more than likely people would rather see a person brushing teeth in a restroom than braces packed with leftover food.

Every four to six weeks adjustments will be made to braces (the treatment is different for Invisalign). Adjustment appointments take about 20 minutes. Patients may feel mild to moderate discomfort after adjustments. Treat pain with over-the-counter pain relievers like Tylenol or ibuprofen. Canker sores may form on the inside of cheeks from metal hooks on the braces. Applying a dental anesthetic product like Anbesol to the sore will alleviate pain.

If your smile has been damaged by disease, tooth decay, or injury, Serenity Dental can help. Our Plano dental office welcome patients with broken-down smiles. Using crowns, fillings, dental implants, or dentures, Dr. Azouz can create a smile that will fill you with confidence.

When you come to our Rocklin, CA office, Dr. Azouz will start your appointment by thoroughly examine your teeth and gums, as well as your bite (occlusion). Next, we’ll take X-rays, photographs, and possibly a Panorex image of your smile, all of which will give us the extra information we need to plan your full-mouth reconstruction. Dr. Azouz will also talk with you about your questions and how you envision your finished dental work, in addition to explaining all your treatment options. Once your full-mouth reconstruction has been completed, you can look forward to enjoying the healthy, beautiful smile you’ve been dreaming of.

At our Rocklin, CA office, we offer a wide range of cosmetic services, including orthodontics, to help you restore your dental health. In some cases, we may need to work with a specialist from a particular discipline to complete your full-mouth reconstruction. But regardless, our primary goal is delivering exactly the smile you want, and then helping you maintain it.

Amalgam fillings, which are made from a combination metals and have been used for years as a low-cost alternative to gold restorations, also contain what the ADA has ruled to be acceptable levels of mercury.

But at Serenity Dental, we’re not taking any chances. We believe in a holistic approach to dentistry that takes oral health and total body health into account. That’s why we use safe, durable composite resin instead. With composite resin, you can have that gorgeous, natural-looking you want without putting your overall health at risk.

Composite vs. Amalgam Fillings

But, when it comes to amalgam fillings, mercury is just part of the equation. Because traditional fillings are sensitive to changes in temperature as well pressure from grinding and chewing, patients who have them may experience painful sensitivity or develop hairlines fractures that can leave teeth vulnerable. Moreover, cracks in the material or between your fillings and your teeth can open the door for bacterial reinvasion, creating a bigger decay problem than you had at first.

Composite fillings, on the other hand, bond to your tooth structure, providing long-term protection that will actually strengthen your tooth. And because composite fillings don’t respond to changes in temperature, you don’t have to worry about the cracks or hairline fractures associated with amalgam fillings. Instead, you can look forward to enjoying a strong, confident smile with fillings that blend seamlessly with the rest of your smile.

All-Porcelain Crowns

In addition to offering mercury-free and metal-free fillings, our Rocklin office features all-porcelain crowns. With all-porcelain crowns we can return structure, strength, and function to a tooth plagued by decay or damage, protecting your smile from further damage and preserving your jaw’s natural alignment in the process.

Plus, our all-porcelain crowns reflect light just like a natural tooth. That means your restoration will blend in seamlessly with the rest of your smile.

And because we use CEREC technology, we can mill your crown right in our office in about one hour while you wait comfortably in our office.

CEREC Dental Education Video If your tooth has been cracked, chipped, broken, or significantly decayed, the answer may be a crown. Dental crowns restore damaged teeth to their natural state, allowing patients to chew and smile with full confidence. At Serenity Dental, we’re pleased to offer metal-free, state-of-the-art crown technology with CEREC.

Traditional crowns require two visits to the dentist, because they’re created in a dental lab. The dentist takes impressions and sends that information out, so a third party can create your crown. With CEREC, we design, mill, and place the crown during a single visit. What's more, your restoration will be milled from high-quality porcelain, which mimics natural tooth enamel more closely than any other material, resulting in a strong restoration that's better for your body's overall health.

Benefits of CEREC

No more guppy impressions going down a patient's throat!

No temporary crowns needed, because the restoration is completed in one visit!

No second visit!

No more cutting down of teeth, because Dr. Azouz can create conservative restorations and onlays instead of full-coverage crowns!

No more guesswork!

As one of the first dentists in Sacramento to offer CEREC, Dr. Azouz is extremely comfortable with this technology. He loves having the ability to create metal-free, all-ceramic restorations that blend perfectly with our patients’ smiles. Our patients love the convenience and the exceptional results CEREC provides. With CEREC one-visit crowns, you can get the high-quality treatment you deserve without constant interruptions in your busy schedule.

Lumineers Dental Education VideoPorcelain veneers are one way a dentist can help you enhance a cracked, chipped, stained, misaligned, or unevenly spaced smile, but they aren’t your only option. With custom-made Lumineers from Cerinate, Dr. Azouz can give your smile the boost you’ve been dreaming of, and with almost none of the preparation required by traditional veneers.

What makes this possible is the unique way Lumineers are designed and applied. They’re thinner than traditional veneers and can be put in place in as little as one visit. Moreover, because Lumineers don’t require the same level of preparation, you aren’t committing yourself to a permanent change. Even though the dazzling results can last for up to 20 years, you can go back to your natural smile any time you like. That makes them an excellent option for patients who, like us, favor a holistic approach to dentistry.

If you think Lumineers might be what you’re looking for, schedule a consultation visit with Dr. Azouz and our Rocklin office today. Through talking with us, we can help you answer any questions you might have and help you fully explore all your options.

Veneers Dental Education VideoWe at Rosa Dental want you to look your best, even if you have to have part of a tooth removed. We know how to restore that natural look you want through restoration.

Dental porcelain (known as dental ceramic) is used to create lifelike crowns, veneers, and bridges. When a part of a tooth needs to be removed, it is replaced with a porcelain inlay or outlay. These look like natural teeth and will give relief to you from cavity pain, chewing pain, and tooth degeneration.

Sometimes, you just need a tooth covered up to match the rest of your teeth. Porcelain Veneers may be just what you need! For decades we have been welcoming people who need to fix their smiles. Midtown’s Rosa Dental is ready to help you look your best.

Veneers are a thin, semi-transparent tooth shaped “shell” that are custom made of porcelain. They are permanently bonded to your natural teeth which are located in your “smile zone” to enhance their shape, length or size.

Veneers can fix gaps between teeth and/or improve the appearance of teeth that are discolored, misshaped or misaligned.

Procedure:

The teeth are cleaned and any old surface restorations are removed.

An impression is taken of the prepped tooth and sent to a lab where a veneer if fabricated.

The veneer is applied with bonding resin and a curing light.

After the veneer is set, it is shaped and polished to look like a natural tooth.

Everyone knows that if you have an attractive smile, you feel more confident. But if your teeth are stained, how can you fix that so you look your best? At Rosa Dental here in Midtown Sacramento teeth whitening is the #1 requested and performed cosmetic dental procedure.

Tooth whitening is a procedure that lightens teeth and helps to remove stains and discoloration.

A thin coating forms on your teeth throughout the day which attracts stains. The tooth’s enamel contains pores that hold stains. Cavities need to be treated before teeth are whitened because the whitening solution can penetrate decay and reach inner areas of the tooth, which can cause sensitivity.

Receding gums can cause roots to become exposed. Whitening will not work on exposed tooth roots, because roots do not have an enamel layer. Whitening also does not work on tooth restorations such as crowns or veneers.

At-Home Whitening:

We can prepare a clear, custom-made bleaching tray for you to take home, along with a professional whitening solution. Just line your tray with the solution and wear them as directed. You will see best results within two weeks.

Over-the-Counter Whitening:

These products are not as effective as our in-office treatment, but ask us which would work best for you.

After Whitening:

No matter what system you use to whiten your teeth, after you are treated, avoid tobacco and eating foods that stain, since recently-whitened teeth are more likely to absorb stains. Whitening also can lead to increased sensitivity. These side effects, though, pass eventually.